Getting started
Which period should you start with?
Start with the history you already find exciting. You'll paint, read and play it for months, so interest beats any other reason.
The main periods
| Period | What the games feel like | Example rules |
|---|---|---|
| Ancients (Greeks, Romans and their enemies) | Big blocks of infantry, cavalry on the flanks, commanders trying to hold the line together | Hail Caesar |
| Dark ages and medieval | Warbands, heroes and shield walls | SAGA (skirmish) |
| Pike and shot (Thirty Years' War, English Civil Wars) | Pike blocks, musketeers and cavalry charges | Pike & Shotte Epic Battles |
| WWII on land | Squads, tanks and support weapons using cover | Bolt Action, Chain of Command, Flames of War |
| WWII at sea | Fleets of ships, gunnery and torpedoes | Victory at Sea |
| WWII in the air | Fighter dogfights | Blood Red Skies |
Three questions to decide
- What does your local club or store play? Having opponents matters more than anything else. Ask before you buy.
- How many models do you want to paint? Skirmish games need a few dozen figures. Mass battles need hundreds, though smaller scales help.
- Do you want one game or a hobby? WWII has the most model choice and the most players. Ancients and pike and shot reward people who love the history.
Next: compare the rules or understand scales.
Sources
- Warlord Games: Hail Caesar, Rick speaks — Hail Caesar
- Studio Tomahawk: SAGA — SAGA
- Warlord Community: Incoming! Pike & Shotte Epic Battles — Pike & Shotte Epic Battles periods
- Warlord Games: A question of scale — Warlord scales for land, sea and air
Sources checked October 25, 2026. Figures are quoted as the source gives them; where sources differ we say so.